Chapter 179: I'll Be Back Soon!

As Zabuza collapsed onto the water’s surface, the surrounding dense mist began to dissipate.

Sasuke’s eyes returned to their jet-black appearance.

Standing silently on the water, his entire body was unscathed—no sign of injury anywhere.

Zabuza.

Was dead.

Sasuke didn’t leave immediately because he heard something.

Another person’s presence.

The movements were subtle, as if the individual was waiting for the right moment to strike instead of acting immediately.

Gradually, the mist cleared.

The scenery on the water's surface became visible.

Everyone, including Kakashi, was curious about what had happened.

And then they saw it.

Sasuke stood on the water, with a body lying next to him. Blood floated on the clear surface, staining it a bright crimson.

*+70*

The number before Sasuke’s eyes jumped again.

“Sasuke…”

Kakashi’s pupils shrank sharply.

He could see it clearly—Zabuza, the Demon of the Mist, was dead!

Unbelievable!

Kakashi’s heart roared with shock. He knew Zabuza was a Jonin from the Hidden Mist Village and one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, known for his extraordinary strength.

Even for Kakashi, fighting Zabuza was a toss-up.

But Sasuke had taken him down directly!

Kakashi’s expression turned serious as he started analyzing Sasuke’s abilities.

At the very least, from what he’d observed so far, Sasuke hadn’t used any taijutsu techniques, including the Eight Gates.

This wasn’t Sasuke at full power!

“Sasuke?!”

Sakura’s eyes widened, tears welling up. She had been terrified just moments ago.

Seeing Sasuke unharmed, a heavy weight lifted from her heart.

Thank goodness… Thank goodness…  

Then, her gaze fell on Zabuza’s lifeless body lying on the water. Her pupils shrank again.

This man…

Was dead!

This…

Sakura didn’t know how to process what she was feeling. She’d never seen a dead person before, and now, on her very first mission, she’d already encountered three.

And Sasuke?

Sakura realized that this was Sasuke’s third mission. How many times had he faced situations like this?

“Sasuke, you’re amazing as always!”

Naruto grinned, giving Sasuke a big thumbs-up, completely unfazed by Zabuza’s demise.

No matter how strong Zabuza was, Naruto thought it was only natural that Sasuke would win.

“This kid’s got some skill.”

Tazuna peered over his glasses at Sasuke, who was standing calmly on the water.

Sasuke didn’t move.

He knew there was still someone else nearby.

If he wasn’t mistaken, that person was Haku, Zabuza’s companion.

If that was the case…

They could reunite in the afterlife.

Still…

Haku had remarkable patience.

“Kakashi-sensei, mission accomplished. This guy wasn’t much of a challenge. I didn’t even need to use my Flying Thunder God.”

As Sasuke spoke, he took a step toward Kakashi and the others, deliberately exposing his back to Haku and baiting him with an opening.

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*

Suddenly, a barrage of senbon needles shot toward Sasuke, blocking his path.

“Huh?”

Sasuke feigned surprise, stepping back nimbly and returning to his previous spot on the water.

*Swish!*

At that moment, a figure appeared, wearing a mask with the Hidden Mist emblem, resembling a Mist Anbu ninja.

Even with the mask on, Sasuke instantly recognized the person by their familiar outfit and hairstyle.

It was Haku.

“You killed Zabuza!”

Haku’s voice was calm—eerily so—and carried a chilling undertone of murderous intent.

Without another word, Haku formed hand seals at an astonishing speed, completing them almost instantly.

“Secret Technique: Thousand Needles of Death!”

Haku’s icy voice echoed, stirring the water into a frenzy before transforming it into countless ice spikes.

The ice spikes shot toward Sasuke from every direction.

A full 360-degree assault.

Simultaneously, Sasuke realized his feet had been frozen, leaving him unable to move.

“Interesting.”

Sasuke watched the incoming ice spikes without a trace of worry.

This was the Ice Release kekkei genkai.

It wasn’t something he could learn, so there was no point in letting Haku demonstrate further.

*Crackle!*

Electricity surged across Sasuke’s body, enveloping him in a blinding blue-violet glow.

*+70*

The number before his eyes leaped again.

“So powerful!”

Kakashi couldn’t help but exclaim, his Sharingan fixed on Sasuke. He quickly realized this wasn’t just the Chidori.

It wasn’t even Chidori Stream.

This wasn’t Sasuke channeling Chidori through his body.

He had become the Chidori.

How was this even possible?

A massive question mark formed in Kakashi’s mind.

But…

---

Kakashi didn’t think much of it; he simply attributed it to Sasuke’s unique constitution.

That’s right!

It’s all because of his unique constitution!

For someone with nearly infinite chakra and stamina, nothing they do would be surprising.

Zzzzzz…  

The lightning on Sasuke’s body blasted through the ice spears closing in on him, shooting straight toward Haku.

Whoosh!  

Sasuke transformed into lightning, darting across the water’s surface, tearing through everything in his path, piercing through Haku, and appearing behind him.

Zzzzzz…  

Amidst the flickering sparks, Sasuke’s figure reformed as the lightning coalesced back into shape.

*+75*

The number floated before Sasuke’s eyes.

“Cough… cough…”

Haku coughed, his mask shattering into pieces as a mouthful of blood spurted out. From his chest, a massive hollow wound gaped open.

It’s over…

Haku never imagined his end would come like this.

All he wanted was to kill the one who had killed Zabuza and then follow Zabuza in death.

But he still failed!

Haku didn’t even have a chance to dodge. That bolt of lightning was far too fast; everything ended in an instant.

The augmentation of the Lightning Transformation Jutsu, combined with the quadruple lightning attribute, gave Sasuke piercing power surpassing even Kakashi’s Chidori.

Thud!  

Haku collapsed to the ground, lifeless, as blood pooled around him.

“Done.”

Sasuke calmly walked toward the shore, his steps steady, as if nothing of consequence had just occurred.

Two kills in a row.

Sasuke didn’t even blink.

As he understood from watching the Hokage in the past, there is no absolute good or evil in this world—only differing perspectives.

Thus…

For those standing against him, he would show no mercy.

Mercy toward enemies is the greatest cruelty to oneself!

Sasuke was no saint like Naruto, willing to forgive those who caused him pain.

Rather than suffer pain himself, Sasuke preferred to inflict it on others!

*+80*

As Sasuke spoke, the numbers before his eyes jumped, marking another significant increase.

Everything settled!

Under the watchful eyes of Kakashi and the others, Sasuke calmly returned to the shore. His expression remained unchanged, as though none of this was worth his attention.

“Mr. Tazuna, if I’m not mistaken, the resistance you’ve faced should be over now,” Sasuke said nonchalantly.

Zabuza and Haku were mercenaries hired by Gato.

In other words, they were merely enforcers.

Now that the enforcers were gone…

Gato wasn’t likely to fight in person!

*+85*

The numbers before Sasuke’s eyes increased again, reflecting the points gained from defeating Zabuza and Haku.

“Thank you.”

Tazuna looked at Sasuke with newfound respect, his gaze lingering on the young man.

This boy…

He’s extraordinary!

“Come with me,” Tazuna said, leading Team Seven toward his home, which wasn’t far away.

---

A few dozen minutes later, Kakashi and his team arrived at Tazuna’s house, where they were greeted by Tazuna’s daughter, Tsunami.

After entering, Tazuna removed his hat, wiped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief, and let out a sigh of relief.

“Finally, we’re safe!”

Tazuna scanned the group, his gaze pausing briefly on Sasuke before settling on Kakashi.

“Thank you for escorting me here safely,” Tazuna said, bowing deeply to Kakashi.

“You’re welcome. Now that you’ve safely returned to the Land of Waves, our mission is complete,” Kakashi replied, showing no intention of staying.

“Well… could you stay until the bridge is finished?” Tazuna asked hesitantly.

“No way!” Sakura exclaimed, clearly exasperated.

“That’s right. We can’t stay here indefinitely. Your mission is done, and we’re not obligated to keep protecting you,” Kakashi agreed, nodding at Sakura’s words.

“This…”

Tazuna hesitated, taking a deep breath before speaking. “Even though the ninja Gato hired have been dealt with, he could easily hire more. The only way to truly solve the problem is to finish building the bridge.”

“Sorry,” Kakashi said, shaking his head. “We’ve already gone above and beyond. After all, this was only supposed to be a C-rank mission.”

Now it was time to return to the Leaf Village and report.

“How about… you stay for one night?” Tazuna suggested cautiously.

---

---

Tazuna tried his best to keep Kakashi from leaving. As long as Kakashi stayed, there was still hope.

“No need to go to such trouble.”

At that moment...

Sasuke suddenly spoke up, instantly drawing everyone’s attention to him.

After what happened earlier, Tazuna now looked at Sasuke with newfound respect, no longer underestimating him.

*+10*

The number in front of Sasuke’s eyes jumped.

“Sasuke, do you have a way to solve this problem?”

Tazuna’s eyes lit up. He knew this cool and mysterious kid operated differently from the others.

“I can’t solve the problem itself.”

Sasuke shook his head, his denial clear. He truly couldn’t resolve this kind of conflict.

“This... I thought you had a solution!”

Tazuna looked distraught. The bridge was his life’s work and the only hope for the Land of Waves.

“I can’t solve the problem, but I can deal with the ones causing it.”

Sasuke’s voice was calm yet commanding, reverberating through the room and leaving everyone stunned.

*+15*

The number in front of Sasuke’s eyes jumped again.

“Uh...”

Tazuna stared at Sasuke, speechless.

Kakashi and the others watched him but said nothing.

“Are you serious?”

Tazuna glanced at Sasuke again, unable to suppress his question.

“Of course I’m serious. Or do you expect us to stay here and babysit you forever?”

Sasuke had no intention of wasting time helping Tazuna build his bridge, but leaving now might doom the entire family.

*+20*

The number in front of Sasuke’s eyes jumped again, showing another stat increase.

“This...”

Tazuna glanced at Kakashi, seeking confirmation in his expression.

“Sasuke can make his own decisions.”

Kakashi said only this, but the moment Sasuke spoke, it reminded him of Obito and how he acted when they rescued Rin.

“In that case...”

Tazuna turned back to Sasuke with a serious expression. “What’s your plan?”

“That’s not for you to worry about. Just tell me where Gato is.”

Sasuke didn’t directly answer the question, but his tone and confidence exuded an aura of authority that gave Tazuna a glimmer of hope.

*+25*

The number in front of Sasuke’s eyes jumped yet again.

“Gato is at the docks. That’s his base of operations. But he has two personal bodyguards—samurai, and they’re very strong.”

Tazuna eagerly shared all the information he had. He saw a sliver of hope in Sasuke.

“Samurai, huh.”

Sasuke’s tone was indifferent as if they weren’t worth mentioning. He glanced at Kakashi.

“Kakashi-sensei, you guys can rest for now. I’ll be back soon.”

After finishing his sentence, Sasuke turned and headed toward the door.

*+30*

The number in front of Sasuke’s eyes jumped again.

“Sasuke, wait a moment.”

Tazuna hurriedly called out, his tone much more respectful now.

“I’ll have my daughter prepare some food. It won’t take long.”

“Why don’t you eat first before heading out?”

Tazuna’s idea was simple—treat Sasuke well since he was helping with such a critical issue.

“Right, you just brought my father home. I’ll start cooking right away!”

Tsunami smiled warmly, her expression gentle.

“Tsunami, hurry and make something!” Tazuna urged, signaling his daughter with a glance.

“Yes!”

Tsunami turned and headed to the kitchen.

Watching her leave, Sasuke continued toward the door.

“Sasuke, aren’t you going to eat?” Tazuna asked, puzzled.

“I will.”

Sasuke’s steps slowed slightly as he turned to look at Tazuna. His lips curved faintly as he spoke softly.

“I’ll be back before Tsunami finishes cooking.”

With that...

Sasuke’s figure blurred and disappeared, leaving the others staring in awe at the now-empty doorway.

*+35*

The number in front of Sasuke’s eyes jumped again, marking another stat increase.

The docks in the Land of Waves weren’t far away.

They controlled all the region’s water transportation.

And the ultimate boss there was Gato!

Whoosh!  

Sasuke moved swiftly, dashing toward the docks like a phantom.

*Add Points*

Sasuke opened the system panel and added one point each to his stamina and agility stats, restoring his chakra and stamina to their peak.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!  

After a few leaps, Sasuke reached the coast, where the sprawling docks came into view.

“This is the place.”

Sasuke’s lips curled into a faint smile. This felt like playing a stealth game—a game of assassination.

---

(End of Chapter)